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This weekend was Purim, a Jewish holiday that I knew existed, but really didn’t know about at all. I still don’t know a ton about it, but I at least know a bit more. My mom taught me a song when I was younger about Haman, but I never put it together that hamantaschen were made to celebrate Haman’s failed plot for Purim!

This weekend, I attempted to make hamantaschen, and while they taste very yummy, I don’t think I can call them hamantaschen. They are more just like little round cakes. I pinched together the ends of them, and they went into the oven in the traditional triangle shape, but ended up cooking spread out and circular in the oven 😦

I figure I need to try out hamantaschen with friends who have actually made them before, and maybe there’s a technique I can learn to successfully get the triangle shape to stay. I ended up somewhat giving up when the dough was used up enough and made some sheep cut-out shapes instead!

I also think an issue was the recipe I used. I like flipped out when I saw Buzzfeed’s article with a bunch of different types of hamantaschen, and I decided I wanted to make chocolate hamantaschen with the Chocolate Mint recipe I found in the article.

The recipe is originally for cookies, and I think that’s why it ended up failing. I think the recipe also requires a standing mixer. The only wet ingredients were butter and sugar, so the dough ended up very crumbly as I added more and more flour. I ended up putting an egg in, which I think made the dough come out much better. I also don’t have a rolling pin, so I used a glass for this on a cutting board. I think a larger, prettier kitchen and more tools/experience will help in the future. But it was fun and the little cakes are very fudgy and chocolately wonderfulness! Now I just have to figure out what to do with all of them…